OUR D.N.A.

Foster circus and physical performances and practitioners in Auckland and Aotearoa New Zealand.

We value quality, audacity and humanity. Connecting communities, sharing skills, challenging, engaging and delighting audiences through narrative works in a genre bending blend of circus and physical theatre.

No other professional company in NZ operates in this innovative, form-forward space.

EVE GORDON & MIKE EDWARD

Eve is the creator and co-director of The Dust Palace.

Eve graduated from UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts with a Bachelor of Acting in 2002 and has been working for the past 15 years as an actor, circus performer, producer, and director.

After being introduced to physical theatre by Beth Kayes, aerial theatre has become Eve's vocation and main drive in life.

Company Highlights

2018 - Human

Cirque Vole was our largest work to day - selling 3000 tickets in Palmerston North. Human had a similarly successful season in Auckland.

The Property Council Awards mega-act was highly successful, and our All Women’s Cirque Show was accepted into the Brisbane Wonderland Festival in November.

In September, we successfully sold 40% of the company to shareholders, allowing us to move to new, larger premises in January of 2019.

2017- Midnight

Midnight - Our collaboration with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra - sold out weeks in advance and was met with accolades and the immediate offer for a second collaborative work!

The Goblin Market received incredible responses during it's Canadian tour in September/October and was chosen as one of the top ten shows of 2017 by the Vancouver Westender.

2016 - The Goblin Market

Took us to Montreal for the CINARS biennale with our new work The Goblin Market – inspired by the eponymous Christina Rosetti poem.

The Dust Palace was the first NZ circus company ever to present at OFF–CINARS. This visit resulted in a Canadian tour booked for 2017.

2015 - Ithaca

Top of the Heap was our family-friendly show created in association with Auckland Live.

The year culminated in a large-cast cirque Sci-Fi version of Homer's Odyssey –Ithaca, played at Q.

2014

Saw the development of Orpheus, in association with the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and With a Stranger toured the South Island.

2013

Three new shows were devised and produced. With a Stranger played at TAPAC; Same Same but Different was the first full scale circus show to play at Tempo Dance Festival and Knock Knock played to sold-out houses at The Herald Theatre. Love and Money also brought hundreds of new audience members to Downstage in Wellington.

2012

This was a year of touring festivals. In February we developed surrealist circus cabaret Cirque Non Sequitur for SPLORE festival. Erupt Lake Taupo festival presented Venus is... in May. The Right Royal Cabaret Festival in Taranaki brought down Cirque Non Sequitur, which then travelled to Fuel Festival and was the first show to play in the round at Q Theatre's main-stage. Love and Money's Auckland season at TAPAC book-ended the year.

2011

We were given the honour of opening Q Theatre's Loft space. We developed Venus is... for this.

2010

Saw an independent tour of the eleven strong Burlesque as You Like It, culminating in a season with the International Comedy Festival and development of Love and Money.

2009

We co-produced The Sexy Recession Cabaret, with Jennifer Ward- Lealand, Michael Hurst, and Tama Waipara. We also produced two sold out seasons of Burlesque as You Like It – Not a Family Show and physical theatre piece The Moon's Insane and other stories..